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Heatstroke

Heatstroke

Sometimes babies are so peaceful and quiet in the backseat that we can forget they are even there, and it can be tempting to leave a sleeping baby in the car so we don’t have to wake them up while we quickly run into the store. But leaving a child alone in a car can lead to serious injury or death from heatstroke, even in cooler temperatures.

Here’s some helpful information and tips for parents about heatstroke prevention for kids.

Hard Facts about Heatstroke

On average, every 10 days a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle. In more than half of these deaths, the caregiver forgot the child was in the car.

A car can heat up 19 degrees in just 10 minutes. And cracking a window doesn’t help.

Young children are particularly at risk, as their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s.

Top Tips for Preventing Heatstroke

Reduce the number of deaths from heatstroke by remembering to ACT.

Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. Always lock your doors and trunks – even in your driveway. And keep your keys and key fobs out of the reach of kids.

Create reminders by putting something in the back of your car next to your child such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone that is needed at your final destination. This is especially important if you’re not following your normal routine.

Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.